Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Peninsula and Waterloo pair awarded to Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel George Smith, Royal Horse Guards

Military General Service 1793-1814, 1 clasp, Toulouse (G. Smith, Lieut. Royal Horse Gds.); Waterloo 1815 (Lieut. G. Smith, Royal Horse Guards) fitted with silver clip and steel ring suspension and gold ribbon buckle; together with Coronation Medal 1838, official Royal Mint issue in silver, by B. Pistrucci; and a very fine oval portrait miniature of George Smith in the uniform of the Royal Horse Guards, by Andrew Plimer (1763-1837); also sold with, in gilt-metal frame, all contained in an old mahogany glass-fronted display case, reverse of clasp carriage distorted on the first, light edge bruising and contact marks on the second, otherwise generally good very fine (4) £8000-10000

George Smith was appointed Cornet in the Royal Horse Guards on 5 November 1812, and promoted to Lieutenant on 18 November 1813. He served with the regiment in the campaigns of 1814 and 1815, in Spain, France, and Flanders, and was present at the battle of Waterloo. He was promoted to Captain by purchase on 22 June 1820; Brevet Major, 10 January 1837; Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel, 28 June 1838; and Major by purchase, 16 September 1845. He was still living in 1846 but disappears from the Army List shortly afterwards.

The reverse of the frame has attached biographical and family notes. The miniature portrait was exhibited at the Royal Academy, Winter 1951, and the reverse bears a label inscribed as follows:

R.A. 1951
Artist: Andrew Plimer. Ser. 485
Title: George Smith, of Spetisbury,
Dorset, Lt. Royal Horse Guards
Owner: M. Du Plat Taylor,
6 Branstone Rd.,
Kew, Surrey.